PATIENT PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH SATISFACTION WITH THE HEALTH CARETHE HEALTH CARE

Health CareHealth Care

Health care is the prevention, treatment, and management of illness and the preservation of mental and physical well-being through the services offered by the medical, nursing, and allied health professions. The organised provision of such services may constitute a health care system.

Patient SatisfactionPatient Satisfaction

Employee satisfaction and retention have always Employee satisfaction and retention have always been important issues for physicians. Satisfied been important issues for physicians. Satisfied employees tend to be more productive, employees tend to be more productive, creative and committed to their employers, creative and committed to their employers, and recent studies have shown a direct and recent studies have shown a direct correlation between staff satisfaction and correlation between staff satisfaction and patient satisfaction. patient satisfaction.

Family physicians who can create work Family physicians who can create work environments that attract, motivate and retain environments that attract, motivate and retain hard-working individuals will be better hard-working individuals will be better positioned to succeed in a competitive health positioned to succeed in a competitive health care environment that demands quality and care environment that demands quality and cost-efficiency. What's more, physicians may cost-efficiency. What's more, physicians may even discover that by creating a positive even discover that by creating a positive workplace for their employees, they've workplace for their employees, they've increased their own job satisfaction as well. increased their own job satisfaction as well.

How measurement How measurement began?began? Beginning in 1996, Hewitt Associates, Beginning in 1996, Hewitt Associates,

the international management the international management consulting firm, began to develop an consulting firm, began to develop an extensive health plan database: the extensive health plan database: the Hewitt Health Value Initiative. The Hewitt Health Value Initiative. The database includes health plans' database includes health plans' responses to an extensive questionnaire responses to an extensive questionnaire about operations, quality-improvement about operations, quality-improvement programs, provider contracting, and programs, provider contracting, and other activities. The survey has been other activities. The survey has been conducted annually since 1996 and conducted annually since 1996 and contains responses from over 500 plans.contains responses from over 500 plans.

Why Patient Why Patient Satisfaction?Satisfaction?How Important?How Important? Without acceptable levels of Without acceptable levels of

patient satisfaction, health plans patient satisfaction, health plans may not get full accreditation and may not get full accreditation and will lack the competitive edge will lack the competitive edge enjoyed by fully accredited plans. enjoyed by fully accredited plans. Most MCOs now undergo some Most MCOs now undergo some kind of formal accreditation, and kind of formal accreditation, and therefore measure satisfaction.therefore measure satisfaction.

Results of a Results of a QuestionnaireQuestionnaire

Five Ways To Satisfy Five Ways To Satisfy Patients, In Less Time Patients, In Less Time Find out about your patient’s Find out about your patient’s

needs firstneeds first;; Be preparedBe prepared;; Put it in writingPut it in writing;; Minimize interruptionsMinimize interruptions;; Help patients create Help patients create

relationships with your support relationships with your support staffstaff;;

Strategies for Strategies for Communicating with Communicating with

PatientsPatients Introduce yourself and your role at each encounter.Introduce yourself and your role at each encounter. Try to determine the need behind repeated questions Try to determine the need behind repeated questions

or statements.or statements. Let your patient know that you are changing the Let your patient know that you are changing the

subject. “Now let’s talk about….”subject. “Now let’s talk about….” Don’t interrupt.Don’t interrupt. Avoid figurative terms that patients may interpret Avoid figurative terms that patients may interpret

literally. For example, “We’re ready to take you to the literally. For example, “We’re ready to take you to the floor now.”floor now.”

Align your facial expression and your message. Don’t Align your facial expression and your message. Don’t frown as you say “You’re daughter’s come to visit.” frown as you say “You’re daughter’s come to visit.” (Unless that’s a bad thing of course!)(Unless that’s a bad thing of course!)

Avoid quick movements that may frighten or upset Avoid quick movements that may frighten or upset your patient.your patient.

Don’t patronize.Don’t patronize.

Understand and acknowledge frustration.Understand and acknowledge frustration.

Use your patient’s name.Use your patient’s name.

Use appropriate touch to gain your patient’s attention.Use appropriate touch to gain your patient’s attention.

Face your patient when you are speaking to him/her. Face your patient when you are speaking to him/her. You can startle anyone when your first words are from You can startle anyone when your first words are from behind a person.behind a person.

Ask your patient to do one thing at a time, as opposed Ask your patient to do one thing at a time, as opposed to two or three things. Don’t say “Take off your shoes to two or three things. Don’t say “Take off your shoes and shirt and then sit on the examining table.”and shirt and then sit on the examining table.”

Thank your patient for talking with you. Thank your patient for talking with you.

How To Inspire Trust? How To Inspire Trust?

Keep your promises.Keep your promises. Use appropriate touch. Use appropriate touch. Put yourself in your Put yourself in your

patient’s place. patient’s place. Protect patient confidentiality. Protect patient confidentiality. Provide orientation for new patients. Provide orientation for new patients. Find out what your patient needs Find out what your patient needs

first. first. Be conspicuously obvious about Be conspicuously obvious about

following standard precautions. following standard precautions.

How To Encourage How To Encourage Patient Follow-Patient Follow-Through? Through? Give instructions in writing.Give instructions in writing. Have others in your organization Have others in your organization

reinforce your message. reinforce your message. Let your patient know what to Let your patient know what to

expect if he doesn’t follow the expect if he doesn’t follow the agreed-upon treatment plan. agreed-upon treatment plan.

Give your patient a log or ask him Give your patient a log or ask him to keep a diary to record his to keep a diary to record his progress. progress.

THE END…THE END…Questions?Questions?